Florida PSC Warns Electric Utility Customers of Bill Scam

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) is warning customers to beware of calls threatening immediate electric service disconnection and directing the customer to purchase a prepaid debit card to pay their bill. When the customer calls back the “utility representative,” the scammer asks for the debit card’s receipt number and PIN number, allowing access to the card’s funds. In some cases, the scammers ask for the customer’s credit card information and numbers.

Some thieves are using caller ID spoofing, making it appear that the call originates from the customer’s utility company, and the scammers have become aggressive when their legitimacy is questioned.

“We want to ensure that Florida’s electric utility customers are warned about unscrupulous scam artists who are trying to steal from them,” said PSC Chairman Ronald A. Brisé. “It appears that this fraudulent practice is targeting low-income households and small, privately-owned businesses, so there is an even greater urgency to alert customers to this scheme.”

Reminders for electric utility customers:

Utility companies never ask for or require a prepaid debit card for bill payments.